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Cost of Replacing Polybutylene Pipes: $4,000–$7,500

Replacing polybutylene pipe throughout a house is a full repipe, estimated at $4,000–$7,500 in PEX or $8,100–$12,000 in copper for a house with 2 full baths and 11 fixtures. Polybutylene is a plastic that was made between 1978 and mid-1995 for supply piping in homes. The estimate is the same as for any repipe because the plumber replaces every supply line, whatever it was made of.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11

Key figures

ItemFigure
PEX replacement estimate (a house with 2 full baths and 11 fixtures) $4,000–$7,5001,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Copper replacement estimate (same house) $8,100–$12,0001,2,3,5,6,9,10
PEX, per fixture (8 published prices) $360–$6601,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
Copper, per fixture (5 published prices) $730–$1,0701,2,3,5,6

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What polybutylene pipe is

Polybutylene is a plastic that was made between 1978 and mid-1995 for supply piping in homes. InterNACHI, a home inspectors' association, puts the number of US homes plumbed with it at up to 10 million. Some disinfectants in tap water react with polybutylene and can make it flake apart anywhere in the system, and pipe behind drywall can leak for a long time before anyone sees it. InterNACHI tells inspectors to check the whole run of pipe, not one section, because a house can have polybutylene in some places and not others.

Sources11

Polybutylene replacement cost by number of bathrooms

National estimate for replacing all polybutylene supply pipe, by number of bathrooms, permit included1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
House Fixtures PEX Copper
1 bath 8 $2,900–$5,600 $5,900–$8,800
1.5 baths 10 $3,600–$6,900 $7,300–$11,000
2 baths 11 $4,000–$7,500 $8,100–$12,000
2.5 baths 13 $4,700–$8,900 $9,500–$14,200
3 baths 14 $5,100–$9,500 $10,300–$15,300
4 baths 17 $6,200–$11,500 $12,400–$18,500

These figures assume every supply line in the house is replaced. This site does not estimate partial replacement.

The polybutylene class settlement

The 1995 national class settlement in Cox v. Shell Oil Co. set up a $950 million fund from Shell and Hoechst Celanese to replace eligible leaking polybutylene systems, as the Fifth Circuit described in a 2003 opinion. The settlement covered systems that met its terms, and this site has no source on whether claims can still be made, so the estimate assumes the owner pays.

Sources12

States with the most homes from 1980 to 1999

The Census counts housing by decade built, and 1980 to 1999 is the closest match to the years polybutylene was made. A house from those years may or may not have it; only an inspection of the pipe can tell.

Share of housing units built from 1980 to 1999, ACS 2024 1-year
StateShare built from 1980 to 1999Median year built
Florida32%1990
Georgia31%1993
North Carolina29%1993
Virginia29%1985
Washington26%1987
Texas26%1994
California25%1977
Missouri24%1978
Indiana23%1977
Michigan21%1972

Sources13,11

Common questions

How much does it cost to replace polybutylene pipe?

For a house with 2 full baths and 11 fixtures, the estimate is $4,000–$7,500 with PEX and $8,100–$12,000 with copper, including a plumbing permit. It assumes all of the supply lines are replaced. Each additional full bath adds 3 fixtures to the price.

Does a house built in the 1980s have polybutylene pipe?

Not necessarily. Polybutylene is a plastic that was made between 1978 and mid-1995 for supply piping in homes. InterNACHI tells inspectors to check the whole run of pipe, not one section, because a house can have polybutylene in some places and not others. A plumber or home inspector can tell you what your house has.

Why do plumbers replace all of the polybutylene, not one section?

Some disinfectants in tap water react with polybutylene and can make it flake apart anywhere in the system, and pipe behind drywall can leak for a long time before anyone sees it. This site prices only whole-house replacement, so its figures do not cover fixing one leak or one run of pipe.

Related pages

For the full national figures, see the national repipe estimates.

Sources

  1. How Much Does It Cost to Repipe My Home?, The Repipe Company. Accessed November 10, 2026.
  2. How Much Does It Cost to Replumb a 1,500 Square Foot House in 2026?, Repipe Solutions Inc. Accessed November 10, 2026.
  3. PEX vs Copper Piping: Which Is Better?, Kimco Plumbing & Air. Accessed November 10, 2026.
  4. PEX vs Copper, Repipe1. Accessed November 10, 2026.
  5. Copper Repipe vs PEX: Which Is Better for Your Home?, All Pro Repipes Inc. Accessed November 10, 2026.
  6. Whole-Home Repiping Pricing, Home Therapist Cooling, Heating, and Plumbing. Accessed November 10, 2026.
  7. Cost to Repipe a House in Florida: 2026 Pricing and Homeowner Guide, Alberto Pro Plumbing. Accessed November 10, 2026.
  8. Average Cost to Repipe a House with PEX, Action Craft Experts. Accessed November 10, 2026.
  9. Construction Permit Fees, Effective October 1, 2026 (PG_012_INF Rev 7.2026), City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections. Accessed November 10, 2026.
  10. 2026 Combined Development Related Fee Schedule, City of Columbus Building and Zoning Services. Accessed November 10, 2026.
  11. Polybutylene Pipes, InterNACHI (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors). Accessed November 10, 2026. Source for the 1978 to mid-1995 production years and the 'up to 10 million homes' figure.
  12. Richard v. Hoechst Celanese Chemical Group, Inc., 355 F.3d 345 (5th Cir. 2003), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (via CourtListener). Accessed November 10, 2026. Background on the polybutylene class actions, including Cox v. Shell Oil Co. (Tenn. 1995) and the $950 million replacement fund.
  13. American Community Survey 2024 1-year, tables B25034 (Year Structure Built) and B25035 (Median Year Structure Built), U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed November 10, 2026. State rows of the summary files acsdt1y2024-b25034.dat and acsdt1y2024-b25035.dat.

How these figures are built: methodology. Updated November 2026.